While schools cut back on paper, field trips, and entire departments, CEO's are spending their bailout money on bonuses. Guess who is overflowing with taxpayer money?
As news reports flood readers with reports that the Senate has a revised stimulus package they can agree on, taxpayers need to ask what the Senate cut to make the overwhelming spending more palatable. Then again, maybe taxpayers do not need to ask what was cut.
Taxpayers they can drive by almost any school and see the answer to "what was cut?" in the old buildings, old playground equipment, and old buses. Maybe they can ask their children how many kids are in their classes and realize that class sizes are growing, due to teacher cut-backs, and ask about special programs, such as gifted education, and educational field trips. Those programs, too, are facing cuts due to budgetary concerns.
What the Senate Cut from the Stimulus Bill
According to Time Magazine's Jay Newton-Small,"Most of the cuts that led to the deal — about $85 billion — came from reduced spending on school construction, teacher funding and higher education." ("Barely Bipartisan But a Senate Stimulus Deal is Done", February 7, 2009). Greg Hitt and Jonathan Weisman were even more specific in the their February 7, 2009 Wall Street Journal article, "Senate Reaches $780 Billion Compromise Package". They say Senate cuts include:
$98 million for school nutrition
$3.5 billion for school construction
"At least half the funds to subsidize state education spending were eliminated"
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Funding for computerize health records "is all but gone"
Funds for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Make Work Pay payroll-tax holiday is dramatically reduced
The child tax credit for the working poor was "also trimmed".
That leaves $780 billion left to stimulate the economy, but it will be higher after already approved measures (such as the $15000 tax credit for homeowners) are added into the total bill.
What Concerned Citizens Can Do About The Lack of Education Funding
Much of the support generated for the Stimulus bill came from people who supported the funds going to education. In one of Move On's call-to-action emails, Noah T. Winer asked Move On participants to write letters to the editors of local papers, and included the fact that the stimulus bill as proposed at the time, would prevent "literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs" and said the bill "doubles funding for the Department of Education."
It is important that anyone who supported the bill because of the potential in education funding contact their senators to let those elected leaders know that education is still a priority for the people who understand the value of an educated society.
What the Senate Allowed in the Stimulus Bill
Almost every section of society not taking place on school grounds will benefit from the bill, which has some admirable expenditures. Recipients of proposed funds include:
Byrne Justice Assistance Grants
Community Oriented Policing Services
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Department of Energy
Details of the bill are emerging, and the Senate will vote on the bill by February 10th, but they are hoping for a weekend vote.
The copyright of the article The 2009 Stimulus Bill Won't Stimulate Education in American Affairs is owned by Alex Sharp. Permission to republish The 2009 Stimulus Bill Won't Stimulate Education in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Interesting. We spend more per capita on education and get the worst
results, compared to other nations. So I don't think throwing money at
schools would really have stimulated the economy, or helped test scores.
That said, Your basic assumption that everyone in America can look out
their window at dilapidated schools is a false one. In Milwaukee, for
example, they have 15 vacant school buildings, a large surplus of property,
and no plans for construction, yet under the original plan they would have
received $88.6 million. The funds that were cut were earmarked for
construction & nutrition, not for teacher salaries. More playgrounds,
buses and buildings won't solve our country's education woes.
Feb 8, 2009 5:40 AM
Guest :
That may be true for Wilwaukee but St. Louis has to close 30 schools. Some
because of enrollment but the majority because the schools are too old.
Take a look at urban schools throughout the US.
Jul 26, 2009 7:40 PM
Guest :
Aren't the states and local government that these schools that are closing
in for this reason (too old) responsible somewhat for this problem? Its my
understanding that many times this kind of thing happens because of funds
mismanagement by local school boards as well as environmental impacts. I
feel throwing money at the schools isn't going to solve anything either
until there are responsible leaders in education that understand how to
manage the funds already administered. Which of course a lot of them
inherit mishandled budgets and without proper funding/failing economy I'm
sure it is nearly impossible to rebound from someone else's
mistakes,oversights, bad judgement calls, or just plain ignorance. I find
these days there way too many under qualified leaders or administrators
that are able to land these positions because of friends and favors and
they really just don't know what their doing when it comes to handling
money for their school systems. Some school systems make it ok while others
don't. No matter what, teachers will always be under paid. Especially as
long as many are not only teaching the children as well as standing in as
parents to many of them. The number one problem with education is apathetic
parenting. It is a common disease that has taken over our nation by storm.
For just as many classrooms, teachers, busses, playgrounds, text books, and
better nutrition that is needed in each of our schools is a parent that is
needed to give their children support with school. Help with homework or
reading to them. Helping them keep up with their supplies and seeing them
off in the morning with love. For just as many children that don't have
this support at a young age there is 2 more that have dropped out or just
never go to college. Just on my mind. N. Baldwin MS
Feb 7, 2009
